Support Our Troops, Not Congress

The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the courage and conduct of this army. Our cruel and unrelenting enemy leaves us only the choice of brave resistance, or the most abject submission. We have, therefore, to resolve to conquer or die. –General George Washington, August 27, 1776

Seventy-two hours isn’t a lot of time, but it’s all Americans have. By late Thursday night, Congress will have decided whether to throw away more than 200 years of military tradition–or to stand and fight against one of the most significant moral issues of our time. Late yesterday, President Obama met behind closed doors with the two men most capable of dealing a fatal blow to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT): Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Admiral Mike Mullen and Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Together, they agreed to the ultimate military betrayal: a repeal of the policy that protects our troops from serving with open homosexuals. Rather than wait on the Pentagon’s analysis, President Obama and Democratic leaders are rushing to draft the military into their radical social agenda before voters storm the ballot boxes this November.

Let’s call this push what it is–a desperate attempt to force a controversial issue through Congress before Democrats lose their liberal working majority. What’s worse, it’s a political charade that insults our military and shows contempt for their families back home. To give the impression that they care about the process more than they do, liberals would pass a repeal this month but wait to lift the ban until the President, Adm. Mullen, and Gates–three of the repeal’s biggest cheerleaders–agree that it wouldn’t affect the three R’s: recruitment, retention, and readiness. Essentially, the fate of national security would rest on a politician, a political appointee, and the only member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who believes in putting millions of people at risk for the sake of a minute sexual fringe. This is just another backroom deal–brought to you by the same leadership that delivered “compromises” on ObamaCare and taxpayer-funded abortion. This is yet another cultural time bomb, strapped on the backs of the men and women who honorably serve this country.

Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.), who is driving this push in the House, says Democrats have the votes they need. But in a new Zogby poll, commissioned by FRC and released today to the press, Americans–by nearly a three-to-one margin–believe this policy should be shaped–not by Congress–but by the uniformed military leaders. This administration is turning to two men for their blessing when it should be listening to the hundreds of commanders on the ground. The White House should be exhausting every resource to understand the concerns of the troops–who will not only be forced to live under this new rule, but who can evaluate the issue through the lens of practicality.

This position is so far outside the global mainstream that the world’s largest volunteer militaries still ban homosexuals from open service. Where will we find men and women who will die for political correctness? Let me be clear, this policy will compromise our military’s mission to keep America safe. Maybe not today, maybe not next year, but it will happen. To find out how, read Lt. Col. Bob Maginnis’s new paper, “Mission Compromised” on FRC’s new website. Then, sound the alarm through your email lists and phone trees. Ask your friends and families to contact their members of Congress and U.S. Senators, especially if they appear on this list:

FLORIDA: Sen. Bill Nelson (D), 202-224-5274

INDIANA: Sen. Evan Bayh (D), 202-224-5623

MAINE: Sen. Susan Collins (R), 202-224-2523

MISSOURI: Sen. Claire McCaskill (D), 202-224-6154

NEBRASKA: Sen. Ben Nelson (D), 202-224-6551

VIRGINIA: Sen. Jim Webb (D), 202-224-4024

Friends, this battle isn’t coming. It’s here.

A Supreme Disappointment

One woman who would take particular pride in rushing the DADT repeal is Supreme Court hopeful Elena Kagan. Back in 2003, she was so angry about the policy to ban open homosexuals that she protested by kicking recruiters off Harvard’s campus. Yesterday, the GOP’s highest ranking member of the Judiciary Committee took to the Senate floor and called those actions “unjustifiable.” ” …[R]ather than acknowledge that Ms. Kagan had acted inappropriately, the Obama administration has instead done something odd to me. It’s tried to defend this indefensible activity, distorting the clear facts in the process. We need to get that straight. As we begin to think about this nomination, we need to understand the facts,” said Sen. Jeff Sessions (Ala.). That may be difficult without 160,000 pages of documents from the Clinton Library that have yet to be delivered to Committee members. Sen. Sessions was clear that the June 28 hearing date should be postponed until he and his colleagues have that information in hand. Meanwhile, FRC Action released a new, full-page ad today in Politico that asks, “What do Kagan, Levin, and Pelosi have in common?” Click here to find out.

America, Speak Out!

This morning, in between the media’s bonanza over Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, House Republicans unveiled a new initiative called “America Speaking Out.” It’s designed to give the people an opportunity to tell Washington about their priorities. One way you can have an impact is by steering these leaders toward a stronger stance on social conservatism. On their new website, visitors have a chance to vote on everything from fiscal accountability to American prosperity and national defense. While you’re there, click over to the tab called “American values” and vote for your values–like life and marriage. Let the House GOP and others know that you understand that our future as a nation is rooted in the same priorities that made America a great nation: a profound respect for human life, an understanding of the essential role of the family, and a deep commitment to religious freedom.